Case Studies

A. Disputed examination findings in a primary care consultation

Scenario: a child attended primary care with an acute illness. The dispute centred on whether an ENT examination was performed, what findings were present, and whether the advice/treatment given was appropriate. Family statements described a limited examination, while the contemporaneous clinical record documented a thorough assessment and specific findings.
Specialist consultant role: independent records review, comparison of witness accounts with contemporaneous documentation, and opinion on what can be concluded on the balance of evidence without speculation.
What was delivered: a structured report separating documented fact from recollection, highlighting inconsistencies, addressing the clinical significance of each version, and clearly explaining evidential limitations.
Outcome: helped legal teams focus the case on the determinative issues and avoid arguments not supported by the record.
designation: instructed by solicitor, medico-legal services

Scenario: a child developed severe respiratory failure during a high-risk clinical course, requiring escalation to intensive care and advanced organ support. The dispute focused on the timing of escalation, the appropriateness of critical care interventions, and whether earlier steps would likely have altered the outcome.
Specialist consultant role: ICU-focused review of clinical trajectory, escalation thresholds, organ support decisions, and causation/prognosis commentary with uncertainty clearly stated.
What was delivered: a chronology-led analysis identifying key turning points, what was clinically reasonable at each stage, and a balanced causation discussion that distinguishes possibility from probability.
Outcome: clarified the clinical narrative for non-clinicians and supported proportionate decision-making on strategy and settlement.